Research outputs
Preprints
Ross J, Hoopman MJ, Küllmer F, Al-Jourani O, Silale A, Osman MM, Chen Z, Bridges HR, Garnham KJ, Morland C, Reyre JL, Layton AJ, Turkenburg J, Hart S, Solovyova A, Porter A, Baslé A, Codée JDC, Williams SJ, Moynihan PJ, Overkleeft HS, Blaza JN, Lowe EC. Functional Differentiation of GH172 Arabinofuranosidases Through Divergent Quaternary Structures. bioRxiv, 2026.
Peer-reviewed Publications
2026
Feasey M, Silale A, Baslé A, van den Berg B. Structural and functional characterisation of the dextran utilisome from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. Journal of Structural Biology: X 14, 100153.
Silale A#, Soo YL, Mark H, Motz RN, Baslé A, Nolan EM, van den Berg B#. Structural basis of iron piracy by human gut Bacteroides. Procedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 123(18), e2528036123. #Co-corresponding author.
2025
Silale A§, Madej M§, Mikruta K, Frey AM, Hart AJ, Baslé A, Scavenius C, Enghild JJ, Trost M, Hirt RP, van den Berg B. Structure of a distinct β-barrel assembly machinery complex in the Bacteroidota. Nature Microbiology 10, 2845-2859. §Co-first author.
Parr RJ, Santin YG, Ratkevičiūte G, Caulton SG, Radford P, Jenkins M, Doyle MT, Mead L, Silale A, van den Berg B, Knowles TJ, R Sockett E, Stansfeld PJ, Laloux G, Lovering AL A porin-like protein used by bacterial predators defines a wider lipid-trapping superfamily. Nature Communications 16, 6213.
2023
Silale A, Zhu Y, Witwinowski J, Smith RE, Newman KE, Bhamidimarri SP, Baslé A, Khalid S, Beloin C, Gribaldo S, van den Berg B. Dual function of OmpM as outer membrane tether and nutrient uptake channel in diderm Firmicutes. Nature Communications 14, 7152.
Silale A#, van den Berg B#. TonB-Dependent Transport Across the Bacterial Outer Membrane. Annual Review of Microbiology 77, 67–88. #Co-corresponding author.
Abellon-Ruiz J, Jana K, Silale A, Frey AM, Baslé A, Trost M, Kleinekathöfer U, van den Berg B. BtuB TonB-dependent transporters and BtuG surface lipoproteins form stable complexes for vitamin B12 uptake in gut Bacteroides. Nature Communications 14, 4714.
White JBR§, Silale A§, Feasey M, Heunis T, Zhu Y, Zheng H, Gajbhiye A, Firbank S, Baslé A, Trost M, Bolam DN, van den Berg B, Ranson NA. Outer membrane utilisomes mediate glycan uptake in gut Bacteroidetes. Nature 618, 583–589. §Co-first author.
2022
van den Berg B, Silale A, Baslé A, Brandner AF, Mader SL, Khalid S. Structural basis for host recognition and superinfection exclusion by bacteriophage T5. PNAS 119(42):e2211672119.
2021
Silale A, Lea SM, Berks BC. The DNA transporter ComEC has metal-dependent nuclease activity that is important for natural transformation. Molecular Microbiology 116, 416-426.
Hennell James R, Deme JC, Kjӕr A, Alcock F, Silale A, Lauber F, Johnson S, Berks BC, Lea SM. Structure and mechanism of the proton-driven motor that powers type 9 secretion and gliding motility. Nature Microbiology 6, 221–233.
2018
Paschke P, Knecht DA, Silale A, Traynor D, Williams TD, Thomason PA, Insall RH, Chubb JR, Kay RR & Veltman DM. Rapid and efficient genetic engineering of both wild type and axenic strains of Dictyostelium discoideum. PLoS One 13: e0196809.
Structures
Atomic coordinates authored at the Protein Data Bank.
Electron microscopy volumes authored at the Electron Microscopy Data Bank.